Condensation Plant

ABSTRACT

A condensing system has a plurality of heat exchanger elements ( 2 ) which are disposed especially in a roof-shaped manner and to which cooling air (K) is fed via fans ( 3 ). An aerodynamic wall ( 7 ) is formed on a perimeter ( 5 ) of the condensation plant ( 1 ). Arranged on the perimeter ( 5 ) is a wind shielding wall ( 6 ) which is composed of plate elements ( 10 ). The plate elements ( 10 ) have a plurality of hollow chambers ( 9 ) which extend in a vertical direction. An air flow (L) can be introduced into at least some areas of the thus-configured wind shielding wall ( 6 ) in order to form an aerodynamic wall ( 7 ) above the wind shielding wall ( 6 ).

The invention relates to a condensation plant having the features set forth in claim 1.

Especially when larger power plants and buildings in immediate proximity of air-cooled condensation plants are involved, significant warm air circulation is sometimes experienced, when wind conditions are unfavorable. The warm air circulation is encountered in limited regions, in particular in the corner areas of a condensation plant. The obvious solution would be to increase the height of the wind shielding walls that surround the heat exchanger elements. This would basically necessary only in the critical areas. Cost reasons, static of the condensation plant as well as environmental considerations and changing intensities of the warm air circulation militate against this procedure however so that a cost-efficient and effective measure is wanted in order to reduce the warm air circulation, also temporarily, i.e. in the concrete presence of the actual problem.

DE 34 21 200 A1 proposes a force-ventilated condensation plant with an aerodynamic wall for reducing the warm air circulation. The flow velocity of the aerodynamic wall should exceed the exit velocity of the cooling air from the heat exchanger elements. The use of easy-to-make wind shielding walls is omitted here, and a relatively large-volume nozzle arrangement is proposed instead, whereby the nozzles can be arranged above or to the side of the heat exchanger elements. Also conceivable are specially designed slotted nozzles which can be arranged on the perimeter of the condensation plant and may be supplied with cold or also warm air.

As the problem of warm air circulation is greatly dependent on the prevailing wind direction and local wind speeds, the configuration of a barrier solely in the form of an aerodynamic wall results in a complicated construction that is not necessarily required in all peripheral areas of a condensation plant. Although it is in principle possible to provide part of the peripheral area of the condensation plant with an aerodynamic wall, changes in wind condition make it difficult to predict whether other sections of the peripheral area are not also affected by an increase in warm air circulation. A quick retrofitting is not possible in such a case. For precautionary reasons, the entire peripheral area should thus be equipped with an aerodynamic wall. This is, however, not sensible for cost reasons.

It is therefore the object of the invention to provide a condensation plant with an aerodynamic wall which can be added to at least some areas thereof in case of need, without substantial structural modifications.

This object is attained by a condensation plant having the features set forth in claim 1.

Advantageous improvements of the invention are the subject matter of the sub-claims.

The condensation plant according to the invention includes at its perimeter a wind shielding wall which is comprised of plate elements, with the plate elements having a plurality of hollow chambers extending in vertical direction. The hollow chambers of this wind shielding wall are used to form an air flow for creating an aerodynamic wall above the wind shielding wall. The condensation plant according to the invention has the essential advantage that there is no need for installation of additional slotted nozzles or complex nozzle shafts because the already existing wind shielding wall is utilized for formation of an aerodynamic wall.

The introduced air flow is a cold air flow in particular which blends with the heated cooling air and reduces the negative impact of the residual warm air circulation solely by commingling. Numerical tests have shown a significant reduction of the local warm air circulation rate by few percentage points, when the air flow has a suitable velocity. As a result, the condensation capacity is improved and thus the efficiency of the power plant is increased. Transport of the accelerated air flow can be realized by a separate, e.g. mobile ventilator or also by branching off a partial flow of the cooling air conveyed by the fans which are associated to the peripheral heat exchanger elements. Although the relatively small cross section of the hollow chambers would cause a pressure drop, the flow rate of the fans is however very high so that the volume flow is relatively high in the area of the aerodynamic wall in order to compensate the pressure drop. The use of the existing wind shielding walls permits a temporary or permanent implementation of a flexible and at the same time effective solution for reducing the warm air circulation in a relatively simple manner and with little costs.

Exemplary embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detail with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a side view of a condensation plant with several roof-shaped heat exchanger elements arranged side-by-side and positioned between peripheral wind shielding walls;

FIG. 2 shows a plan view of the condensation plant;

FIG. 3 shows a side view of a peripheral heat exchanger element adjacent to a wind shielding wall;

FIG. 4 shows a further embodiment according to the illustration of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 shows a cross section of a wind shielding wall, as used in FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIGS. 1 and 2 show a condensation plant 1 with several heat exchanger elements 2 arranged side-by-side to which cooling air K is fed via fans 3. As a result, water steam fed by a steam manifold condenses within the heat exchanger elements 2. The heat exchanger elements 2 are surrounded in their entirety by a wind shielding wall 6 which is arranged at the perimeter 5 of the condensation plant 1 and prevents an instant and unimpeded warm air circulation. The degree of the warm air circulation is greatly dependent on the locally prevailing wind direction. In particular the corner area of a condensation plant may experience a strong warm air circulation to adversely affect the condensation capacity and thus the efficiency of the power plant. It is provided within the scope of the invention to form an aerodynamic wall 7 above the wind shielding wall 6 for establishing an additional barrier between the warm air W exiting the heat exchanger elements 2 and the cooling air K drawn in from below. FIG. 1 shows by way of example the formation of such an aerodynamic wall 7 only in the area of the wind shielding wall 6 on the left-hand side of the drawing plane. Corresponding perimeter sections 8 of an aerodynamic wall 7 are also shown, by way of example, in the plan view of FIG. 2. Such an aerodynamic wall is generally required only locally, especially when particular wind conditions prevail. The important fact is the formation of the aerodynamic wall 7 at any desired perimeter section 8, without necessitating substantial structural modifications on the condensation plant 1.

The air flow L required for formation of an aerodynamic wall 7 is guided through hollow chambers 9 of the wind shielding wall 6.ln this exemplary embodiment, the hollow chambers 9 have a trapezoidal configuration (FIG. 5). Wind shielding walls 6 may be established in particular from self-supporting plate elements which have e.g. a trapezoidal or waved shape. FIG. 5 shows an example in which a center plate element 10 with trapezoidal hollow chambers 9 is closed on both sides by planar plate elements 11, 12 so as to form the required hollow chambers 9.

FIGS. 3 and 4 show the manner of introduction of the air flow L into the hollow chambers 9. FIG. 3 shows the arrangement of a control flap 13 in the lower peripheral area of the wind shielding wall 6 for branching off a partial air flow L1 from the cooling air flow K. The control flaps 13 may be opened or closed, as required. In addition to the control flaps 13, or also as an option, the air flow L may also be produced, at least proportionately, by auxiliary fans 14. The exemplary embodiment of FIG. 4 shows that the air flow L is comprised of the partial flows L1 and L2 which are generated by the auxiliary fan 14 and the fan 3, respectively.

LIST OF REFERENCE SYMBOLS

-   1—condensation plant -   2—heat exchanger element -   3—fan -   4—steam manifold -   5—perimeter of 1 -   6—wind shielding wall -   7—aerodynamic wall -   8—peripheral section of 5 -   9—hollow chamber -   10—central plate element -   11—cover plate -   12—cover plate -   13—control flap -   14—auxiliary fan -   K—cooling air -   L—air flow -   L1—partial flow -   L2—partial flow -   W—warm air 

1.-6. (canceled)
 7. A condensation plant, comprising: plural heat exchanger elements; fans for supplying cooling air to the heat exchanger elements; and a wind shielding wall disposed on a perimeter of the condensation plant and comprised of plate elements which have a plurality of hollow chambers extending in a vertical direction, wherein an air flow is introducible into at least some areas of the wind shielding wall for formation of an aerodynamic wall above the wind shielding wall.
 8. The condensation plant of claim 7, wherein the heat exchanger elements has a roof-shaped configuration.
 9. The condensation plant of claim 7, wherein the plate elements have a trapezoidal or waved configuration and are closed on one side or both sides with cover plates for formation of the hollow chambers.
 10. The condensation plant of claim 7, wherein the air flow for establishing the aerodynamic wall is at least proportionally a partial air flow generated by the fans on the perimeter.
 11. The condensation plant of claim 7, wherein the air flow is a partial air flow of the cooling air that has not yet heated up.
 12. The condensation plant of claim 11, further comprising a control flap arranged in a flow of the cooling air for adjusting the partial air flow.
 13. The condensation plant of claim 7, further comprising an auxiliary fan for generating, at least proportionately, the air flow.
 14. The condensation plant of claim 11, further comprising a control flap mounted to a lower end of the wind shielding wall for allowing a partial air flow to move upwards through the hollow chambers of the wind shielding wall. 